In HEMA, Indian clubs are becoming one of the go-to tools for flexibility and conditioning. It appeals to the historical swordsman as it has a history of working specifically for the warriors of Persia and India. The British brought back clubbells from India, and the military introduced them into training halls across military bases during the Victorian period.
One of the downsides is the cost of a pair of clubbells as these tend to be handmade and only a few places stock them. In a huge coincidence, I saw the Indian Clubs DVD being offered by Corsair Wares in Scotland, which I have now bought and watched. The DVD is very well produced. The backdrops are amazing and sometimes distract from what is going on.
The DVD provides a good basic level of clubbell exercise, nothing too complex, and has been developed with a HEMA Practitioner in mind.
I have also been talking to Neil Meekings, the UK’s first Persian Yoga instructor, who put me onto Pahlavandles ™.
This is a hugely useful tool where sword practitioners can use Pahlavandles ™ to build up their own set of clubbells without the cost.
The Pahlavandle ™ fits carbonated drink bottles made of plastic. All PET soft drink bottle top threads are required use the international PCO28 norm.
At 20 cm length and 65 grams, the Pahlavandle ™ is easy to carry around. With an average diameter of 28mm, it is suitable for children, women and men.
The material used for the Pahlavandle ™ is food grade safe plastic. However, the Pahlavandles ™ are not designed for juggling or impact.
Adjustable weight
The unique design and features of the Pahlavandle ™ allow you to find the right starting weight, and progress to a heavier club as skills and strength improve. Experiment with different fillers to increase weight up to 3kg.
Audible Feedback
By filling the Pahlavandle ™ halfway, you can create a shifting weight.
This shifting weight provides audible feedback to help timing and coordination. A fluid swing makes no sound, letting you clearly know when you are swinging optimally.
Ordering
We have become ambassadors for Pahlavandles and have agreed a great deal for bringing these handles to the HEMA Community in the UK. If you are interested in a pair of these tools, the cost is £20 per pair including post and packaging. To order, you need to make payment to enquiries@kentiaido.co.uk and then we can bulk order and then send you your pair.
Workshop
Talking of Neil, he will be here in Kent in April, running a workshop covering Persian Meels, Indian Clubbells and Macebells. This will be focused on providing a historical base of the tools used, so you can use these tools to help with your HEMA training. Get in touch for more info.
Sometimes it can be quite difficult finding the right present for someone on your life that is a confessed sword nut. With that in mind, I wanted to give you some ideas of what you can get that special someone.